Natural Treatments for Insomnia

Insomnia is a term used to describe sleeplessness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping problems. Insomnia includes difficulty in falling asleep and difficulties in staying asleep. There is no "normal" amount of sleep everyone should have, the amount of sleep will vary from person to person. Some people may need 4-5 hours a night, some people will need 8-10 hours a night.

Signs and symptoms of insomnia includes:

• difficulties falling asleep
• restless sleep
• waking up during the night
• waking very early in the morning
• difficulties going back to sleep after waking in the middle of the night
• feeling tired, irritable, anxious or depressed
• lack of concentration

Insomnia can have various causes. These include:

• menopause
• worrying about not being able to sleep (this is the most common cause)
• illness or pain
• sleep apnoea (condition where a person stops breathing for a short period during sleep)
• stress, boredom, loneliness, depression
• taking a nap during the day
• not exercising
• being overstimulated (from TV, exercise or caffeine)
• changing time zones
• working shifts
• needing to pass urine during the night
• medications
• too much light and noise near the bedroom
• being too hungry or too full at bedtime

During menopause, it is not uncommon for some women may experience insomnia. The changes in female hormones, in particular, estrogen, can cause insomnia. There are natural treatments available to improve your sleep, these are:

• Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
• Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata)
• Hops (Humulus lupulus)
• Oats (Avena sativa)
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide)

Valerian, hops and passion flower are sedative herbs that relieve mild insomnia and disturbed sleep patterns.

Vitamin B6 is an essential vitamin for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for sleep and mood.

A deficiency in vitamin B3, also known as nicotinamide, is associated with insomnia, therefore a supplement containing vitamin B3 can help promote sleep.

Drug free measures can also be employed to promote good sleep. These drug free measures are:

• Learn relaxation techniques to manage stress
• No sugars at night and especially before bed
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid coffee or tea within 2-3 hours of bedtime (avoid caffeine)
• Relax before bed, no stimulation, TV or exercise
• Do some exercise during the day
• Sleep in a dark room
• Sleep between 10pm and 6am
• Eat a light meal in the evening
• Sleep in a dark quiet room with fresh air
• Keep the bedroom for sleeping, don't watch TV in the bedroom
• Go to sleep and wake up at the same time (to get your body into a rhythm
• Relax in a warm bath before bed
• Try drinking a warm glass of milk before bedtime

When you go to bed and you still can't sleep after 20 minutes in bed,

• get up and out of bed
• walk around
• write down any problems that is on your mind
• have a warm glass of milk or chamomile tea
• use relaxation techniques